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Archive for October, 2007

Tonights Result show previewed the upcoming Dance Wars – Bruno versus CarrieAnn we a great dance number that previews in January. A show that searches for an entertainer that is both dancer and singer.Dance Wars – Bruno versus CarrieAnn is definitely a show Jenny T. Partridge will appreciate. The dance quality and genre is more in line with the performance routines you would see on So You Think You Can Dance.

The two teams in tonight’s bottom two have no similarity to last night’s bottom two teams. In the bottom last night….

Jane and Tony

Marie and Jonathan

The two bottom teams tonight….a shocker

Sabrina and Mark

Cameron and Edyta

Going home Sabrina and Mark

Surprising in the fact that Bryan and Ballas were the first team to get a perfect 30 on the season and were the first team to ever get it so early in the season.

It was a mixed bag week in both performances, dances, and outcomes.Each team performed a routine to a dance new to them, then it was the first group dance of the season. So let’s start with the individual dances on the night…

Sabrina and Mark danced the Foxtrot, it was my Monday with Viking Hour so I missed this first performance. The judges graded them 9 – 8 – 8 for 25 points making them the first team of the night to land in the middle of the pack.

Jane and Tony performed a Jive. It was boring, stiff, and absolutely no pizzazz. Jane needs to learn to keep her knees together. To quote Len Goodman, “It wasn’t pumping.”The judges scored them straight 7s for the lowest score of the night.

Cameron and Edyta drew the Samba this week.Usually I think Edyta doesn’t choreograph for her partner, this week she definitely did, showing his strengths while she carried the routine.Despite a misstep at the end of the routine the dance was nice, had energy, but wasn’t fast and hot.The judges gave them 9 – 8 – 8 for 25 in the middle of the pack.

Mel B and Maksim performed a nice, sexy Rumba.It didn’t smolder, it didn’t challenge, but it was well danced. Mel B has beautiful bubble butt, they put her in a dress with a drape on the butt, why oh why would they do that?The judges loved them and the dance giving them a perfect score of 30, and the leader board for the night.

Marie and Jonathan danced the Paso Dobles. It needed more energy and sharper movements. It kind of dragged in a few places, but it was charged in a few places as well. The judges scored them 8 –8 – 7 for 23 and the second lowest score of the night.

Helio and JulieAnn drew the Cha Cha. It was fun, in character, and had sauce to it. JulieAnn truly understands her job as a choreographer and a teacher, the routine spotlighted Helio quite nicely.The judges gave them the second highest scores of the night, 9 – 10 – 9 for 28 points.

The fun of the night came with the season’s first group routine, a Rock N’ Roll Rumble choreographed by Christian Perry.Danced to Rockin’ Robin, the dance was fun, energetic, very entertaining, with some very good performances.

It was freaking Hot! or at least thought Bruno Tonoli, but he said it with that Italian accent, so it was darn cute.

Encore performance for the week was Mel B and Maks’ Samba.I normally don’t comment much on the guest performer but I have to this week.Jennifer Lopez is known for her dancing. She teaches Flamenco, has had several dancing roles, and yet, her performance was highly lacking. So sad.

Bottom two:

Mark and Kym

Jane and Tony

Going home this week?Mark and Kym

They are hot on the dance floor, cute together, and a definite chemistry. So I have to ask, is there more than meets the eye to Mark and Sabrina? Enquiring minds want to know.

Up next week for the Celebs and their dancing partners, a dance they haven’t yet done and a group dance to be judged by viewers.

The sexy Latin dances usually mean we get a night of smoky, sultry dancing. Tonight it was a mixed bag. And without adieu I move right on to the comments.

Marie and Jonathan produced the most interesting moment of the evening, and per my expectation Osmond showed the true trouper that she is with her usual wit and humor.After performing a mediocre Samba, Marie fainted – straight away cut to commercial.On the return she was greeted with straight 7’s from the judges for 21.

Jane & Tony danced a Rumba. Darn she looks good in red. It had nice moments, beautifully lines, but was boooring. 8 – 9 – 9 for 26.

Mark and Kym danced an I Dream Of Genie, Samba.Ducky thought she looked quite hot. The dance and concept were cute, he was a bit stiff, but not entirely. He really goes for the entertainment portion of the program. The judges scored them straight 7’s for 21.

Sabrina & Mark danced the Rumba. Ballas’ choreography was spot on. Very sexy, very romantic, good musicality, nice lines, and few missteps, but very nice.The judges thought so too, scoring them 9 – 9 – 10 for 29 points.

Jenny and Derrak Samba’d a so-so Samba.The judges liked the dance, I thought it was stiff and an uninspired performance. No steam.8 – 9 – 8 for 25 points.

Helio and JulieAnn danced a Rumba. JulieAnn in the past has stated this is her favorite dance. A dance of seduction and love, it was beautifully choreographed, sexy and beautiful. The judges thought it was stiff, scoring them 8 – 7 – 8 for 23 and the second lowest points on the night.

Mel B and Maksim were sick. I mean the both had colds but the still danced a good, fast, sexy Samba. The judges liked it too scoring them 10 – 9 – 10 for 29.

Cameron and Edyta closed the evening’s competition with a Rumba. A slow, sexy, smoldering Rumba. The best Rumba on the night only got an 8 – 9 – 9 for 26 from the judges. I’m not usually into Edyta’s choreography but she was right on with this dance.

After a night that yielded up the season’s first perfect set of 10’s for Sabrina Bryant and her dancing partner Mark Ballas, the welter weight champion of the world Floyd Mayweather and his partner Karina Sminoff were eleminated from this season’s competition.

Mayweather and Smirnov danced a Paso Dobles that just couldn’t keep up with the competition. The audience was noticibly shocked when Spice Girl Mel B and her partner Maksim chmerkovskiywere relagated to the bottom two on the show. Mel and Maksmi had garnered some of the performance show’s higher numbers the night before.

The encore dance of the night surprisingly went to All My Children’s star Cameron Mathieson and Edyta Sliwinska who performed their Superman Paso Dobles.

The fire and passion of the Paso Dobles and the dreamy romance of the Viennese Waltz; an interesting night to say the least. While the dancers are getting better, so is Ducky at predicting the scores. It kind of boggles my mind at how good he’s getting at predicting what the judges will score the routines. But having said that, Ducky did tell me that 1) Mark Cuban was robbed, and 2) the Viennese Waltz is boring.

I on the other hand love both dances.

And oh, so excited, tomorrow night the fabulous (oh mi gawd I love this guy) Wade Robson will be on the Results Show dancing.I am giddy with anticipation.

So what happened tonight?Mark and Kym kicked off the night with Viennese Waltz. Ducky thought Cuban did pretty good, but was robbed by the judges, receiving 7 – 8 –7 for 22 points.

Sabrina and Mark danced the Paso Dobles. In my opinion it was to stern, too much stop action on Bryant’s part and some darn weird “stern” mouth positions. She is definitely serious about winning this competition. But I thought the judges were far too generous with their straight 10s, scoring them 30 points. Far too generous. BTW Sabrina has lost a bit of weight during this competition so far.

Jane and Tony’s Viennese Waltz was elegant and smooth. Not as much up and down as I think there should be, but very beautiful. Their scores: 8 – 9 – 9 for 26.

Floyd and Karina danced the Paso Dobles. I give him credit for trying very hard. His opening vine work wasn’t bad, but the an is not a dancer. There rest of his foot work and well over all dancing sucked. The judges liked his passion and scored him 7 – 8 – 8 for 23.

Mel B and Maksim danced a Viennese Waltz, and this is where I have to ask what in the heck are the producers trying to do. The music was too fast for a waltz of any type, especially a Viennese Waltz. Maksim’s choreography was nice and flowing, but maybe a little strong. There really wasn’t any lilt to the dance. I thought the judges were generous scoring them 8 – 9 – 9 for a total of 26.

Cameron and Edyta danced a Pasa Dobles. And for one the pre-production shots showed the viewing audience just what the choreographers were up against. What footwork I could see was tight, there was nice flow, and believe it or not good musicality. But I never, and I mean EVER, thought I’d see a Paso Dobles set to the Superman Theme. I mean really, did you? The judges gave them straight 9’s for 27 points.

Marie and Jonathan danced a Viennese Waltz that was nice and flowing, offering up some unusual techniques that gave the waltz so interesting textures. I loved the musical choice – I Can’t Help Falling In Love lent itself to the romance of the dance.The judges scored them 9 – 9 – 8.

Jenny and Derek drew the Paso Dobles. Who the heck picks the music? Sheesh, what a horrendous choice. The choreography was great, no musicality, because how can you do that? So great dancing, great choreography, hideous music selection.It even confused the judges 8 – 10 – 9for 27 points.

Helio and JulieAnn danced the Viennese Waltz. Beautiful. Flowing. Young. Romantic. Love. Delicious. She is so light, he is so dark, they are so handsome together with incredible chemistry. Beautiful musicality. The judges score them straight 9’s for 27 points.

My bottom two on the night…

Mark and Kym

Floyd and Karina

With Floyd and Karina leaving the competiton.

And remember WADE ROBSON dances Tuesday night.So excited. Up next is Latin week with both the Samba and the Rumba.

Tanglefoot is doing a great job blogging on DANCING WITH THE STARS, but I wanted to take a minute and write about TAPPED OUT, which came out last week. This second book in the series hasn’t been reviewed much yet, but I did find a review on the Internet that really surprised me.

This is the second in the series, following TUTU DEADLY, and I’m happy to report that Jenny has matured quite a bit since the first novel. She’s no longer flailing around like a teenager; she’s behaving much more like the thirtysomething woman she is supposed to be. The author has toned down the “wacky” aspects a bit, too, but there’s still a good dose of humor and some funny situations. The recurring characters are continuing to develop quite nicely; and the mystery seems to be more centered and tightly plotted this time. Anyone who has ever been a dance student as a child, or has a child taking dance classes will instantly recognize the reality of the dance and dance school scenes. This one is a fun, solid mystery, and I’ll be happy to follow Jenny’s progress in the future.

Okay, I’m glad she liked it. And has Jenny matured? Well, she seems the same to me, to be honest. Is it toned down? Well, yes, there were more hijinks in the first one, but I think Jenny is ALWAYS Jenny. But is she maturing? Well, I suppose so. I mean, part of traveling along in life means maturing.

And I just turned in the third book in the series (I will not say last, I will not say last) and in this one, Jenny’s life promises a LOT of changes. In fact, Marlys and she change roles a little bit. Because that happens sometimes, in life.

But I think the third book is my favorite one. The strongest book. The strongest plot line. The most centered in the crazy world of youth competition dance.

So someone will probably think it’s the worst… you just never know.

But my editor agrees.

So I have to wonder about what people have vested in series, and what they see that maybe even the author doesn’t see. If things don’t turn out the way you think they should, does it make you angry? Torn? Does it make you stop reading?

I’ve been a Janet Evanovich fan for a long while. Lots of people bitch and moan and complain about Janet and her Stephanie Plum series, saying it is getting old, and tired, and will Stephanie please just CHOOSE between Ranger and Joe already….. But even though I’ve read all the books, I still look forward to the next one. Yeah, it’s some of the same, but hey, it’s Stephanie, and it’s always humorous, and easy to read, and it’s, well, popcorn.

Someone called Jenny T. Partridge popcorn. Well-written popcorn. And you know what? It may not be a meal, but everyone needs popcorn in their life.

I’ll settle for popcorn.

Library Journal compared me to Janet Evanovich with this review:

“Blending the humor of Janet Evanovich with chick-lit quirkiness, Roberts adds sassy prose and a spunky heroine to create a new series to watch.”–Library Journal

Despite a large fan base it was Mr. Las Vegas that we bid adieu to at the end of week three.Two time DWTS Champ Cheryl Burke wasn’t able to pull her partner, Wayne Newton through this season’s competition. Garnering the lowest score of the week, they landed in the bottom two of the competition with Floyd Mayweather and Karina Smirnov. In fact the entire bottom four was made up for all male celebs this week.

Jenny Garth and partner Derek Hough had the encore dance of the week perform their Tango from the night before, a much better performance the second time around.

Interesting night of dancing and judging; I wasn’t always in sync with the judges when it came to the scores. Up first:

Sabrina and Mark danced a wonderful Jive full of energy and fabulous footwork. Mark’s choreography shone, Sabrina showed the trooper she is by pushing herself. Despite one or two shaky moments, the dance was happy exuberance. The judges gave them straight 9’s for 27.

Cameron and Edyta were up second for the evening dancing a Tango. Strange musical selection, very strange, destroyed the ambiance of the dance and the choreography was lacking. Cameron showed good posture, good footwork, but remains somewhat stiff. The dance itself was not passionate, not hot, I mean it was a Tango. The judges scored them 8 – 7 – 8 for 23 points.

Mark and Kym danced a Jive, I was wondering how his hip would do in the dance, and after some problems in practice you could see he was protecting his hip just a little bit.The dance began with nice footwork, but then Mark fell off the mark just a bit, and lost his footwork altogether once or twice.The judges scoring: 6 – 7 –7for 20 points.

Jenny and Derek delivered a Tango. The judges and I greatly differed on this presentation. First off I thought Derek’s choreography was lacking. This was the lackluster dance of Gomez and Morticia, but they made it sexy. Jenny and Derek lacked hot all together.Garth kept dropping her arms and shoulders, but showed good lines, good kicks, the performance was cold and precise. The judges scored them 9 – 8 – 9 for 26, I have to ask, “Why?”

Mel B and Maksim delivered a not too bad Jive. It had good energy, her kicks aren’t sharp, she fell behind for a bit in the routine. Good arm work, good bounce, and definitely better than the dance before.The judges scored gave them straight 9’s for 27.

Wayne and Cheryl danced the Tango. Whoa, not pretty. While you can tell that Wayne tried, he’s just too stiff, he didn’t understand the character, and Cheryl really did lead through most of the dance.The judges gave them straight 6’s for the low score of the night, an 18. Adios.Floyd and Karina danced the Jive. Mayweather kept falling behind or missing footwork altogether. Lackluster kicks, he was slow half the time, I just didn’t see this as deserving of the score they received from the judges:straight 7’s for 21.

Jane and Tony danced a Tango dedicated to Jane’s late mum. This is such a nice dance for her.She stayed wonderfully in character, there was good push and pull through out the dance, good tension, good – tight footwork, but I was sold completely. The judges were quite generous with straight 9’s for a 27.

Helio and Julieann danced a Jive and for the first time, I think Helio didn’t deliver as he has, but it isn’t all his fault, for the first time in two season’s JulieAnn’s choreography was subpar. His timing was good, but he needs to sharpen his kicks. Interestingly enough Carrie Ann and I agreed on Helio’s use of space, he usually uses all his space, secure in his dance, but tonight he had some little moments where his movements were small when they should have been full.The judges scored them straight 8’s for 24 on the night.

Marie and Jonathan danced a delightful Tango. I hope she gets her own show, a sitcom would be nice.The Tango was cute, with good tight footwork, musicality. Marie stayed in character making it an enjoyable, wonderful, fun dance. The judges scored them 9 – 8 – 9 for 26 points.

BTW my next diet will include Ballroom dancing. Wayne Newton said he’d lost 20 pounds; both Marie and Sabrina have noticeably lost weight in the three weeks since the show has been on the air.

My guess for who is leaving this week based on dancibility (or lack there of): Wayne Newton.

My bottom three performances:

Wayne and Cheryl

Cameron and Eydta

Mark and Kym

Billy Rae returns for the Tuesday night results show to perform with his daughter Mylie Cyrus aka Hannah Montana. Following the show the duet will go on sale.

A night of Mambo and Quickstep delivered entertainment Monday night, and some second week expected

The encore dance of the night, Helio and Juliann’s Mambo was as hot and sexy the second time around as the first time.

A fan of the English version of Dancing With The Stars, Jane Seymour’s mother had inspired her to dance in this season’s competition.After the Monday night show Jane Seymour found out her mother had passed away.Seymour was absent from the results show, but will continue to compete, after being safe in the voting to dance again.

Bottom two…

Wayne and Cheryl

Albert and Anna garnered the fewest viewer votes for the lowest combined score. Sad because Albert showed great potential; Anna on the other hand seemed kind of brittle.

In my opinion this is where the lack of fan base comes into play. Albert was definately a cut above several other Celebrity dancers.